Vinita Prabhakar, an English professor at South Florida State College, filed a lawsuit in Florida district court this week following her dismissal from the institution. The termination occurred after she assigned her freshman English students “Bettering Myself,” an acclaimed short story by Ottessa Moshfegh that examines themes surrounding a Catholic school mathematics instructor struggling with alcohol abuse and inappropriate conduct.
According to the legal complaint, a student expressed discomfort with the assigned reading, and Prabhakar responded by acknowledging the story’s challenging nature and offering to discuss it further in class. The matter subsequently escalated when another staff member filed a formal complaint about the assignment. During a meeting on Feb. 11 with South Florida State President Fred Hawkins, the president expressed personal objections to the text, stating he would not approve of his own daughter reading it and declaring he never wanted to see the story assigned again. The complaint notes that Hawkins, who assumed the presidency in 2023 and previously served as a Republican state legislator, indicated he had consulted with officials in Tallahassee and the Board of Trustees regarding the dispute.
Within a day of that meeting, Prabhakar was removed from her classroom and informed that her employment contract would not be renewed. When requesting clarification for her termination, a human resources administrator cited the use of material not included in the course textbook and cited the president’s authority on the matter.
Prabhakar had taught the same story for a decade without previous controversy. She is seeking reinstatement and filing suit to protect what she characterizes as constitutional and statutory rights. Her legal representation, provided by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, emphasized her commitment to teaching literature that engages and challenges students. The case adds to a broader pattern of professors pursuing legal action against their institutions based on alleged First Amendment violations. College officials declined to provide comment on the matter.
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